Pokemon Courtship - Flirting with Death
by Cottonmouth25
Summary: When a God or Goddess wishes to leave their realm and walk amongst the mortals, they must take on a human form. Yveltal descends to a human kingdom to meet with a young prince who has caught her interest. But the Goddess of Destruction has never taken a husband before - will they learn to love each other? Multi-chapter, part of a series. Medieval AU, Calem x Yveltal (female).


**Flirting with Death**

-.-.-.-.-.

Once upon a time, long before AZ and the Great Kalos War, the kingdom of Kalos was vast and prosperous. The yearly harvests were always bountiful, the peasants lived in relative contentment, and the royal family ruled justly over their beautiful country. Kalos was a peaceful land, destined to remain so for generations to come.

The reason for this? There were many, but most prominently, Kalos was home to two of the most powerful deities to have been created by The Original One. Their names were Xerneas, God of Life, and Yveltal, Goddess of Death.

Humans across the globe worshipped their own Gods and Goddesses. While the deities featured in their mythologies varied from region to region, they were all very real and each served their own purpose in tending to the world they called home. Some of them lived amongst their subjects in the mortal realm, but most of them did not – rather, their true forms were confined to parallel realms in which only they could inhabit. They could not be seen nor heard by any mortal, and yet they were more than capable of spreading their influence across the globe, as their oaths to The Original One dictated.

Beating her great clawed wings, Yveltal soared across the night sky, high enough for her to gaze down upon and marvel at the kingdom of Kalos if she so wished. She did do it sometimes, both for her duty in sowing seeds of destruction and for simple fun. Death was an essential process in order for life to go on, although not one that most mortals really appreciated. From her time poking around the humans, Yveltal knew that she tended to be feared and hated, sometimes to the point where merely speaking her name was forbidden amongst society. Oftentimes, she was only known as Death, the very process she embodied.

It was fortunate for such an unpopular Goddess that the only way for humans to interact with her was to take human form herself.

Which brings us to the moment at which our story begins.

It was Mesprit who had first sparked Yveltal's curiosity. The Sinnohan Goddess of Emotion frequently took in a husband from the mortal world, so often that Yveltal suspected that she actually couldn't survive without one. It made sense for one so intimately tied to humanity to go to such lengths, but other Gods and Goddesses were known to do the same thing on occasion, too. Her brother, Xerneas, was too much of a stuck-up workaholic to ever consider engaging in such relationships with mortals.

But ever since her last visit to Sinnoh, Yveltal recently found her thoughts drifting towards the idea more and more. Humans were different from Pokemon, more similar to the deities they worshipped in that they were capable of complex thought and emotions. What would it be like to get to know them? Be loved? Grow attachments to a world that was otherwise distant?

The dark avian's keen eyes, a deeper blue than the darkest ocean depths, picked out the sight of the extravagant Kalos Palace glittering under the moonlight far below. In her curiosity, she'd already explored the royal family's domain twice, disguised as a visitor to one of their celebrations.

Yveltal, mind already made up, steered herself toward the sprawling castle once more. This time, she had more of an idea of what – or rather, who – to look for.

-.-.-.-.-.

Midnight in the palace, and everyone but the most vigilant of the guards had long since fallen fast asleep. There had been yet another ball, the third this week, and there wasn't a single person from the lowliest servant to the King himself that wasn't completely exhausted.

Well, that was a lie. Unusually, one of the royal princes was still tossing and turning in his private chambers, unable to find even the slightest urge to sleep.

The middle prince, Calem, finally sat up in his bed, wide awake without even the slightest hint of fatigue on his handsome face. He blinked at the luxurious room spread out before his grey eyes, confounded by this mysterious turn of events. After three balls in one week, each held by the King and Queen for the purpose of finding their oldest son a bride, he'd thought for certain that all the partying and socializing would have worn him out. He'd certainly been tired enough to crash immediately on the nights after the first and second.

It wasn't like there was any pressure on _him_, the middle son of three, at any of these social gatherings. His older brother, Tierno, would someday inherit the kingdom. The youngest, Trevor, was an introvert and always became stressed around the large crowds he was forced to mingle with. Then there were Serena and Shauna – even they, who enjoyed the party atmosphere, had some subtle pressure on them to find a suitable noble and be married off to other kingdoms.

No, Calem was a calm, collected sort that politely enjoyed the balls thrown in his brother's honor as much as he did the quiet of the royal library. He was allowed to live life at his own pace, and although he was indeed of marrying age, he wasn't in any hurry to wed.

But after the third and longest ball yet, there was no fatigue to tempt his eyelids closed. It was inexplicable.

_Perhaps a little fresh air would help me relax,_ Calem thought, and gazed speculatively out the windows lining the far wall. _I'll go for a short walk in the palace gardens._

Lighting a candle, the prince shuffled out of bed and pulled the doors open. He briefly exclaimed to the surprised guard outside that he was leaving for a short walk and would be back soon. After getting a nod and smile in return from the guard, Calem proceeded down the cavernous hallway. Moonlight streamed through the windows lining either side, painting the enormous space shades of blue and silver. As he calmly walked down the well-traveled corridors that he knew would eventually lead to the gardens, Calem had no reason to fear the dark with such light guiding his way.

He walked into the warm, summer night air and proceeded down the steps into the garden proper. There was no way he'd be able to explore all of it – the gardens were as vast as the palace itself, thanks to the numerous Fairy-type Pokemon that lived there. Even with all of the magical creatures asleep for the night, Calem saw evidence of their presence in the form of several bowls lining the ground around the staircase from which he now descended. The milk and honey left out as tribute for the Fairies were refilled every evening, to be licked clean again at dawn. Calem had never seen one up close, but he knew it was ill-advised to anger them.

His footsteps were soft on the dirt pathways that weaved through the expansive fields of flowers, hedges, and trees. He'd walk just far enough to reach the fountain between the castle and the gardens' halfway point, he decided. That would be enough fresh air and nightly sight-seeing to work the restlessness out of his system.

The fountain, when he reached it, was an almost mystical sight. Lightning bugs floated like tiny stars around the concrete structure, and others pulsed in the hedges that surrounded the clearing. Calem's eyes gladly took in the sight, marveling as he always did at the garden's serene, harmonious atmosphere.

Then, something moved in the shadows, something Calem had failed to notice at first. His eyes widened as his vision wandered beyond the fountain, spotting the figure that strode elegantly through the night. It seemed to be a woman, but other than her general outline, Calem could see nothing of her – aside from being a fair distance from him, it was as if the shadows themselves clung to her body, effectively disguising her as some creature of the night.

A sudden and familiar chill made Calem shiver, from unease rather than physical cold.

Suddenly, she turned her shadowed head to look at him, revealing eyes that glowed an ominous blue. They froze Calem in his tracks, petrifying him with their sheer depth… depth that couldn't be natural. This mysterious figure couldn't be one of the noble ladies from the palace court.

Before he could break free from the being's spellbinding hold on him, she stepped into the faint light provided by the lazily-floating fireflies. Calem's eyes widened as he gazed upon her features for the first time. His first thought was that the woman was stunningly beautiful, in a way that almost confirmed her inhuman nature. She was a head taller than him, fixating him in an ocean-blue stare, and her pitch-black hair swayed behind her as a single glossy sheet. She wore an elegant black cloak over a slender red dress, and a grey boa made from some kind of Pokemon fur was slung around her neck. Her intense, spellbinding gaze was on him as surely as his was on her.

The mere sight of this woman was enough to cause a slow, foreboding feeling to well up within Calem's gut and spread to his extremities. The cold he felt was suddenly more akin to that awful feeling of weakness one experienced when one felt as though Death herself was coming to take them.

"My prince," she greeted him in a rich, intoxicating voice that slipped off her tongue like oil. "I must say that, while I planned to meet you eventually, I'm surprised to see you making the first move."

She extended her hand, while a disarming smile spread across her red lips. The prince felt dread bubbling up from within him, but stepped forward regardless to gently take the offered hand and kiss it. If the Fairy-type Pokemon were trying to spirit him away (only one of the possible scenarios his frantically-working mind offered to him), he didn't want to make the situation any worse by coming off as impolite.

The woman's smile grew, as if pleased by the sensation of his mouth against the back of her hand. "Such a gracious young man, welcoming a stranger with such kindness," she commented, sounding faintly amused. "It seems that I was right to choose you. I'm humbled that a prince is willing to come and meet me, even though I arrived uninvited."

Her words stirred a bit of confusion in Calem, although he barely noticed through the barely-restrained fear that still pumped through his veins. He kept his face carefully neutral as he stared up at the woman's face. Every detail, even the texture of her skin, was perfect to a degree that couldn't be natural.

"May I ask what you are?" he asked as inoffensively as he could. "A Fairy, perhaps? Or a Ghost?"

Her distracting blue eyes glinted with mirth, and her smile turned sly. "Awfully presumptuous of you to assume that I'm not what I appear to be. Maybe I'm a perfectly ordinary human being, insulted by your accusation of Pokemon sorcery."

"I apologize for being so straightforward," Calem replied, still keeping careful control over his emotions. "It's just that I was so struck by your beauty that I couldn't help but think –"

He was cut off by the sound of the woman's laughter, a vibrant noise that was dissonant with her sinister appearance.

"You truly are a prince, aren't you?" she remarked. Although she was amused, there was no condescending undertone that was typical of most palace ladies. "Smart, well-mannered, flattering, and, now that I look at you through human eyes, quite handsome. Yes, I made the right decision to come investigate you."

Calem pretended that the ominous implications of those words simply weren't there. "So I assume I'm correct then," he observed. "Tell me truthfully – are you not some Fairy-type illusion or apparition, come to seduce me away from the palace and into your custody?"

"You're partially right," she seemed happy to reveal, and Calem forced down a fresh wave of fear that turned his blood to ice water. "I'm not human, but I'm also not a simple Pokemon, nor the petty trickery of one."

Feeling his mouth suddenly go dry, Calem did his best to whisper, "Th-Then… what are you?"

In response, the supernatural beauty before him reached out to delicately pluck a rose from a nearby bush. As Calem watched with growing horror, the flower rapidly withered, the stem curling in on itself even as the leaves and petals shriveled up. Then, with the slightest application of force from her fingers, she crushed it to dust.

Her eyes glowed blue – an unfathomably deep blue that Calem immediately almost lost himself in, their gleam momentarily all that existed to him. When he caught himself and forced himself to look away from their soul-stealing depths, he saw the same pair of eyes proverbially skewering him from the immense horned shadow that rose above her. The shadow seemed to bear down on him, its head leaning forward while its wings closed in to envelop him from the sides.

Then, when Calem next blinked, it was gone. He was hyper-aware of the sheen of sweat on his brow that wasn't there before, and the rapid, shaky breaths coming from his mouth that he hadn't heard before.

"Death," the woman hissed, and showed all of her teeth in an almost triumphant grin.

The world went black.

-.-.-.-.-.

Yveltal's charming smile dropped so fast it almost singed the ground at her feet. What did the handsome prince have to be frightened of? She'd made herself irresistible, hadn't she? Perhaps she'd overdone the whole "I AM DEATH ITSELF" thing?

… Son of the Blinding One, that was exactly it. How _stupid_ of her to forget that as a mortal, this young man was infinitely more fragile than she was. Sure, _she_ thought she was impressive, but to the humans, she was something almost more feared than Giratina itself. She'd come here with the intent of marrying one of them, and yet she'd already bungled the whole careful procedure she had planned.

Step One – get him alone. Step Two – tell them that she was the Goddess Yveltal. Step Three – who cared? She wasn't ever going to get to it, as the prince would likely spend the rest of his infinitesimally short lifespan attempting to avoid her as soon as he woke up.

… He _was_ going to wake up, right?

Yveltal hiked up her dress slightly and bent down to kneel at the prince's side. Clumsily at first, then more deftly, she unbuttoned his nightshirt and slipped a hand over his heart. There was a steady pulse, and a rhythmic rise and fall to his chest. Reassured that she hadn't accidentally killed him, the Goddess took a moment to examine her chosen prize more closely.

She hadn't been lying when she'd called him handsome. In her human form, her eyes were drawn to certain features as she gazed down upon him. She could tell he was tall for his age, and she remembered his irises being an enticing dark grey. His dark hair was of medium length and a bit messy – she found herself wanting to stroke it, to run her fingers through it. His face wasn't quite mature, still retaining a boyish sort of softness that made the corners of her mouth quirk upwards in endearment. When she trailed her eyes down to his lean chest, partially exposed under his nightshirt, her mouth suddenly went dry and she compulsively licked her lips.

She thought back to what he'd said to her, as well as her previous observations of him from afar, the last couple of times she'd investigated the palace. He seemed to be a calm and reserved type, someone who kept to himself but was gracious enough to entertain anyone who approached him. He'd been terrified of her, but he'd kept his cool and carried on the conversation despite that.

She touched his cheek, fixating on his face in its peaceful visage. He smiled in his sleep, and Yveltal felt _warmth_ blossom in her core.

The first human she'd ever chosen to interact with, and she already wanted a taste of him. Wait… no, there was more to it than superficial attraction. She was curious about who he _was_, wanted to know him more deeply.

She made her decision. Her mortal husband would be this young man.

Well, first she had to get him to _like_ her, at least…

-.-.-.-.-.

Soft yellow light flickered through Calem's eyelids as they fluttered open. After a short second of the confusion and sleepiness that usually followed the act of awakening, awareness quickly returned to the young prince. He was back in his bed, in a half-sitting half-reclined position against his pillows. A lantern sat on the table nearby, offering its comforting illumination to him as a greeting from the waking world.

When he turned his head, though, he saw one thing that was out of the ordinary – the beautiful woman that had claimed to be Death was sitting on the edge of the bed right next to him. Very _close_ to him as a matter of fact, close enough for her lengthy train of hair to fall across his lap and for his nose to detect the faint scent of lilies coming from her presence.

"I apologize for scaring you," Death said softly, leaning in even closer to him. Her lips were close enough to brush his nose and her enchanting eyes were inviting him to lose himself in their depths once again. In the same tender whisper, she admitted to him, "I wanted to impress you, as I've seen mortal women do for the men they fancy. But I'm… inexperienced with humans. I didn't know revealing my true identity would have such a dramatic effect on you."

Multiple conflicting feelings struggled for dominance inside Calem's heart. There was still fear, as though it had never left, but it was weaker now – perhaps because he was back in his room. There was awe and reverence, coming with the realization that he was playing audience to a Goddess – of Death or not, it didn't matter. And then there was the nervousness and embarrassment that manifested in the form of a growing blush on his face, originating from the realization that there was an extremely attractive woman leaning close enough for him to feel her body heat and smell her scent.

At last, Calem found the emotional stability to speak. "Th-Thank you for your concern," he managed to murmur. "I-It was just shocking, is all… a-and… if you wouldn't mind giving me some space…"

Death obliged his request and retreated, although she remained on the bed beside him. Calem studied her for a long moment, both to take in the fact he was in the presence of a Goddess and to shamelessly admire her beauty in full lamplight. She seemed to sense his intentions and smiled disarmingly, silently granting him permission to take all the time he needed.

"You are Lady Yveltal," Calem suddenly remarked. "I only just now remembered your name. I-It's… it's an honor to speak to one of your divine nature. T-Truly."

"My prince," Yveltal said for the second time. "I reassure you, despite what you may have assumed, I've not come to take your life. I've come because I wish to claim you as my husband."

If Calem had been asked to describe what he'd felt upon being informed of this, he'd say that it was as if his brain had just stopped working.

As her _what_?

It was mind-blowing enough to be visited by a divine being in the first place. But this wasn't just any Goddess – she was Death herself. And she hadn't come to whisk him away to the afterlife, as anyone would naturally conclude. In fact, she was offering him the opposite, a new life as her partner in marriage.

_In marriage_. That, in itself, was what truly shocked Calem into speechlessness. He'd never even expected a proposal from a _human_ girl, let alone an immortal!

"Was I too forward?" Yveltal asked, genuinely confused by his reaction.

He snapped out of his thoughts to regard the deity-turned-human once more. This time, he didn't have to be within kissing distance of her to blush hotly at the sight of her generous figure. This… this _literal_ Goddess wanted to do just that with him, and far more besides.

"I-It's not that," Calem finally managed to stammer out.

"Then what did I do wrong?" she frowned. Under any other circumstances, her innocence would have been almost funny. "Is this form unattractive to you? Perhaps you're not of marrying age yet?"

"N-No, none of those!" he hastened to correct her, unable to stop himself from blushing harder. "Y-You're incredibly beautiful… th-the kind of bride every other prince in the land would fight to the death over. A-And I _am_ of m-marrying age, yes. B-But while it's normally expected for some courting to occur before a proposal… that's not what's b-bothering me."

He took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. "It's just surprising… beyond surprising, actually, that you… or any Goddess… would come to me with the intention of offering your hand in marriage. I'm only a simple prince, not even the oldest – that's nothing compared to you. Why me? What can I possibly offer you?"

Yveltal was silent at first, and didn't answer right away. She moved closer to him and, with a rustle of her cloak, wrapped a delicate arm around his shoulders. When she pulled his head to rest against her chest, her warmth and lily-like scent surrounded him, and the young prince's heart leapt into his mouth at the intimacy of the position in which she held him. Not to mention that he now had a great view of what lay under her dress. But he sensed that her intentions weren't to… _entice_ him into accepting. Incredible as it seemed, she was attempting to comfort him, an action that surely didn't come naturally to Death herself.

"I've been curious about forming a relationship with a mortal for some time now," she murmured gently in his ear. "I wanted to pick someone I could reasonably see myself falling for, and would fall for me in return. The center of the kingdom of Kalos was the best place to start, and that's how I became interested in you, Prince Calem. Like I said – you're smart, well-mannered, and very handsome. And even after only a short time talking with you, I can tell that we can get along. Maybe even fall in love. That's all I want from you, my prince…"

Calem felt her long fingers slide through his hair, and heard her make a pleased little hum. He looked at her in surprise.

"O-Oh," Yveltal said, removing her hand and scooting away to put distance between them again. "Was that inappropriate? I thought stroking your hair would help soothe you, as I've doubtlessly intimidated you in the garden and overwhelmed you with my proposal. But your hair is unexpectedly soft and smooth… I-I couldn't help but react."

Her speech and mannerisms actually came across as _awkward_. The Goddess' reaction was so remarkably human that Calem couldn't help it – a short bark of laughter burst out from his mouth. The fear vanished entirely. He felt… at ease.

"You're surprisingly good at this," he said aloud.

"At what?" she inquired, a hint of a smile in her voice.

"Reassurance," he answered her. "You scared me at first, yes. But even now, I find myself growing comfortable in your presence."

Now Yveltal really did smile. "I figured that when interacting on such a personal level with a mortal, I'd have to try and be as non-threatening as possible. Especially when I come with such intimate intentions.

"So will you accept?" she added, and slid off the bed to stand before him. As she raised her arms invitingly, her cloak spread like a pair of wings and allowed him a complete view of her sultry beauty. "Can I convince you to come with me to my realm, and spend the rest of your days there as my loving husband?"

The comfort that Calem had felt before now vanished again, to be replaced with doubt. To agree to _any_ marriage was to take a leap of faith, but with such a wide gap between him and Yveltal, he felt uncomfortably like he was selling his soul away. What did it mean to accept a marriage proposal from a Goddess? There were so many uncertainties that sprang to mind – whether or not he would see his family again, if there were any expectations Yveltal had for him beyond those that were typically involved in human marriages, and if he would stay in his world or be forced to join Yveltal in the realm of the divine.

"Um…" he forced himself to say something, as he felt as though he'd remained silent for several seconds longer than he should have. "Th-This… this is a very big decision you're asking me to make. A-And even though I know all you want is for someone to fall in love with… I'm worried about the sacrifices I might have to make… f-for someone I hardly even know."

He saw Yveltal frown, but it wasn't an angry or even irritated expression. She was confused, like she didn't understand what was tying him down to this mortal earth. She probably didn't care about anyone in the palace other than him, not even considered them worthy of even a single thought.

"I have parents and siblings here in this palace," Calem tried to put his worries into more detailed terms. He tried to _make_ her care, or at least realize why _he_ did. "And aside from them… well, I've spent my entire life here. I love the halls, the library, the gardens, and the friendly staff and servants. I'm afraid of leaving my family and my home, Lady Yveltal. I know what you offer me is special, but while I admit I could come to love you, I don't want that to come at the cost of those I _already_ love. You see?"

From the way her expression barely changed, it was clear that his words hadn't done much to convince her. Calem shuffled forward on his bed, perhaps to reach out to her, but before he could try, she turned away and let the shadows hide her face from him. He frowned in concern for her – and for himself. It hadn't been his intention to hurt her feelings or reject her, but if she took it that way, he couldn't help but feel a cold tingle of fear at the thought of Death becoming furious with him.

The Original One must have been smiling down on him that night. For at that moment, inspiration dawned upon Calem and shone new light upon the doubt that clouded his mind.

The prince pushed himself off the bed and extended a hand. The simple movement drew Yveltal's gaze back to him, confused and intrigued by what his gesture might possibly mean.

"Dance with me," he offered. "Maybe if we court for a short time, I'll be able to see you as a bride and not a Goddess. We're but strangers now, but if I'm properly acquainted with you, it may be easier for me to accept your offer."

Only now did she break into an understanding smile, quickly recognizing what he intended to do. He was offering her a chance to get to know him, to establish a place for herself in his heart. She took his hand in silent acceptance, trying to ignore the fluttering in her chest at the feeling of soft skin contact.

As for Calem, his grey eyes widened in shock when he saw the woman before him undergo a transformation. Yveltal's human form became younger, shrinking to his exact height so that his eyes were no longer level with her bosom, but rather her own. Her curves flattened out slightly, her dress simultaneously adjusting to accommodate her new figure, while her face filled out with the youthful softness necessary to turn her sex appeal into the innocent beauty of a young maiden. The one thing that didn't change – aside from the deep, dark blue pools that still held Calem prisoner – was her sleek black hair, now swishing against her thighs rather than her back.

A small, slightly teasing smile appeared on Yveltal's new face upon noticing the surprise with which Calem now regarded her. "I thought I'd alter my form to one more suited to dancing with you. This is a human ritual I've never personally experienced, after all."

"I-If I may be so bold, Lady Yveltal, I think I prefer your appearance now than that of your previous form…" the prince replied bashfully, willing himself not to blush. "You were lovely before, but –"

He was interrupted by the sound of Yveltal's laughter, like the ringing of a bell in its purity as it spilled forth from a maiden's throat. Calem could no longer keep the blush from his face as he looked upon her, so openly enjoying herself, her eyes squeezed shut and her mouth open to release the chiming sound of her own amusement. To finish his incomplete thought, her previous form had been lovely, but as a girl his age, she was breathtaking.

Their dance lasted over an hour. Once they got started, they slipped so easily into the rhythm that they simply lost track of time. Calem led the Goddess-turned-human through the motions of a popular ballroom waltz, one that he'd experienced enough times that he needed no music to guide him. No words were spoken and there was no ambience to distract them – their brief courtship played out in perfect silence. Fingers were intertwined, a hand placed on the lady's waist and one on the prince's neck, feet slid over wood in perfect rhythm, moonlight streamed from the windows to illuminate the dance floor. And all the while, Yveltal's eyes never left Calem's face, even while his own strayed to their hands or their feet to check if their position had wavered.

At the end, the two broke apart, bowed to one another, and spent several moments just looking at each other as their minds slowly rejoined the world outside their tryst.

"That was…" Yveltal was the first to speak, sounding almost awed by what they'd just done. "I've never felt anything like that before. Such intimacy was…"

"Indescribable," Calem agreed, his face heating up ever so slightly. "I've danced with many women before, but that…"

"Yes, I know," she answered as he trailed off, unable to find the words to continue. "You don't need to say anything more – I believe we felt the same thing. The warmth in my chest, the… the comfort of our hands upon each other, as if they were meant to be placed there. This is what you felt, yes?"

Calem nodded, feeling numb, as though he couldn't be sure whether their time together had or had not been a dream. There she stood before him – pale skin glowing in the moonlight, hair shining like a black river, eyes as deep and dark and blue as the sea. The sight of her was enough to put him under a spell. Was this stunningly beautiful maiden really the Goddess Yveltal? Was she really to be his betrothed?

"Do you have an answer for me now?" she murmured. "Will you join me, Prince Calem, and allow me to take you as my husband?"

She no longer sounded confident that he would say yes, but _hopeful_. Perhaps she'd gained a better understanding of not just him, but his hesitation as well, through their brief courtship.

In truth, the Goddess surprisingly felt herself growing _afraid _– afraid of rejection by the mortal she'd grown to fancy.

Instead of answering, Calem stepped forward and reached down to gently take her hands in his. He brought them forward, gently massaging them, savoring the feeling of her skin on his. She remained silent throughout this procedure, uncertain as to where it was leading.

"Can I try something?" he asked her, voice scarcely more than a whisper.

He heard Yveltal's breath hitch, and had no way of knowing what it meant. But regardless, she nodded, ducking her head with almost endearing shyness.

Only for Calem to tuck his finger under her chin and pull her back up to press his lips against hers. The kiss lasted only a couple of seconds, sweet and chaste, before they separated with a quiet _chu~_. His face was burning and he knew he was blushing harder than before, but he couldn't deny the thrill that had coursed through him upon feeling her lips on his. He could hear her breath coming rapidly, see her cheeks turning pink, and feel her hand trembling in his grasp.

When their eyes next met, Calem saw that hers were no longer the bottomless, fathomless pits of an age-old deity. They were shallower, more human – radiating nothing more than earnest surprise and rapidly growing delight.

The shining blue sapphires of a mortal girl in love.

At long last, Calem had his answer, and gave it to her as such.

"Yes."

-.-.-.-.-.

**In the last Pokemon Courtship, I said that next time, I'd be writing one of the pairings you readers kindly requested.**

**… ****That was the plan, at least, before I found out that I couldn't think of a good scenario for it. So I'm writing this instead, the first multi-chapter entry in the Pokemon Courtship series. Hopefully this will help the creative juices flow better.**

**This take on the Legendaries, being able to take human form and each residing in their own realm parallel to the mortal world, was supported by the DP anime's Galactic arc, but first inspired by some reading I did about a tabletop game called "Beast: The Primordial". I find the lore of its resident supernatural horrors absolutely fascinating.**

**Send reviews please! Next update could be really quick or really slow. Depends on where my muse takes me, I suppose.**


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